Panic on the Runway: A Snapchat Slip Up Takes a Flight Off Course
Picture this: a 21‑year‑old milestone celebration turned into a near‑turmoil when a young man in a Jet Airways cabin decided to tag his selfie with the word “terrorist” and a bold message about “destroying women’s hearts.” The result? A full stop and a flight’s detour.
What Went Down…
- Yogvedant Poddar, the girl‑friend’s getaway‑girl, was caught mid‑typing in the tempered air of a Kolkata‑to‑Mumbai run.
- He was hauling a screenshot that read: “Terrorist on flight, I destroy women’s hearts.” Anonymity? No. The flair? Hardly subtle.
- Oddly enough, the photo showed him half‑masked, as if trying to keep secrets in a blur.
Why It Turned Into a Courtroom Conspiracy
While the Airbus hovered in flight‑prep, a passenger from Ireland, Benjamin Plackett, noticed the typed gibberish and immediately flagged it to the cabin crew. The crew, with the best—if nervous—vein in the airlines business, put a stop to it.
At the gates, the Kolkata Deputy Police Commissioner, Avvaru Ravindranath, led the questioning. The short 10‑hour haul landed Poddar in detention, only to be released without charges. “We found no terror link. It was meant for his friends only and not a real threat,” Ravindranath remarked.
Jet Airways Follows Protocol
Jet Airways kept the public on the case by saying they “deplaned a passenger for security reasons.” The plane finally left with an amended layover, after all the required checks had been neatly addressed.
More Strange Skies in India
This isn’t an isolated occurrence. Earlier this month, a GoAir passenger tried to open a door in mid‑flight, confusing it for a bathroom. Then an IndiGo traveler attempted to access the cockpit to snag his phone’s battery while the plane was taxiing to the runway.
With millions of new middle‑class flyers navigating the skies at rock‑bottom fares, the industry has been buzzing with both excitement and occasional missteps.
